Cancellation of year-end party line and disappearing year-end special...Self-employed 'Sickness'

[Anchor]
As we face impeachment again for the first time in eight years, reservations for meetings such as year-end parties are being canceled one after another.

Amid the deepening anxiety of self-employed people, dark clouds are growing in the already difficult domestic market.

I'm reporter Hwang Bo Hye-kyung.

[Reporter]
It is a pork belly restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, where government offices and public institutions are concentrated.

Since the declaration of the emergency martial law on the 3rd, the number of group reservations canceled has increased significantly.

[Im Gye Hak / Pork belly restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul: (Cancellation price) It's about tropical. 40 to 50 people, 60 to 70 people.... "It happened because of the company's situation," or "We canceled it because the situation was not good.".)]

The same goes for the restaurant street in Yeouido, Seoul.

Sales of cafes and convenience stores rose as crowds of rallies gathered, but restaurants that mainly run dinner businesses were hit directly.

[Sogo Gitjip branch manager, Yeouido-dong, Seoul: Reservation cancellations began the next day, and cancellations occurred when many businesses had to open in December..]

In fact, when I surveyed 500 self-employed people last week, about half of them said they had suffered damage such as group reservation cancellation.

The problem is that not only the end of the year special disappears, but the economy can freeze for a long time.

In fact, during the impeachment of former President Park Geun Hye in 2016, the consumer sentiment index fell below 100, which means it will get worse in the next five months.

On top of that, concerns are growing that domestic demand could shrink further in the aftermath of political instability at a time when the future economic outlook index hit its lowest level last month due to the election of former President Donald Trump.

Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choi Sang-mok issued a message asking small business owners to help them at the first emergency economic-related ministerial meeting held after the impeachment bill was passed.

[Choi Sang-mok / Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Strategy and Finance (last 15th): Please support small business owners who are in trouble by holding the originally planned meetings and events.][Self-employed people, who have lost even their year-end specials amid an already sluggish economy due to


High prices, are worried about how long the cold wind will continue.

I'm YTN Hwang Bo Hye-kyung.



Filmmaker: Ko Min-cheol, On Seung-won, Shin Hong
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video: Cho Eun-ki

Design: Baek Seungmin